Nothing Until November

the modern Army is high tech, but the flow of virtual paper is along the same lines as the days of quadruplicate e-mails. After filling out that 37-page application for a security clearance, I was told this evening my application was rejected. The reason: one-year enlistees are not eligible for Security clearances. Actually, it turns out that "being on a one-year" (to use the training NCO's syntax) also means I cannot apply for school. I am eligible to re-enlist November 17. For those who might wonder, I re-enlisted for one year at the advice fo my recruiter. If I enlisted for three years, I could not get a bonus. By re-enlisting for three years after serving 90 days, I can get a $10,000 bonus. It seemed like a good idea, but it does mean I may have to wait until April for the school.

Just After Midnight

Just after midnight last night I finished the application for a Secret Security Clearance. The result is a 37-page PDF summarizing my jobs, my friends, my addresses and my overseas travel in the last 7 years. The seven-year cutoff was great for me. If I had to reconstruct 8 and 9 years ago when I was overseas every month I would have been up till 3 am.

Changing the Schedule; Fitness Test Standards

On Monday I started letting people at work know that I would not be going to the school in Sacramento until next year. Since I got the cervical collar off on August 2 I have been training to pass the fitness test. It's not too difficult for men between 52 and 56 years old: 20 pushups in 2 minutes, 28 situps in 2 minutes, run two miles in 19:30. I was concerned about the pushups because of the injuries to my right shoulder in May. But I can do the 20 in just under a minute, so I should be fine. The situps and the run should be no problem. But there is no way I am going to max it. For a 100% score in each event I would have to do 56 pushups, 66 situps and complete the run in 14:42. If you want to see the standards for your age: www.apft.net

Work toward January school slot

Today I got the application form for a security clearance. So now I can work toward getting into the chemical weapons detection instrumentation school in January or April.

No School

Today I got a message from saying I would not be attending chemical weapons school. Reason: I need a Secret Secutiry Clearance. Now I can plan the next three months.

Enlistment Day, August 16, 2007

Today at 0930 I enlisted. My wife and children watched the two-minute ceremony in the headquarters of my new unit: Echo Company 2-104th Aviation Battalion, Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.

First call to my recruiter

After thinking about joining for way too long, I called SFC Kevin Askew on Maundy Thursday, April 5, 2007, and asked him about joining the Army National Guard. We talked for more than a half hour. He told me that the Army National Guard has a unit that both looks for WMDs and provides Hazmat response support in the region. He said to send in my DD214s, pay statements and any other paperwork I had that would establish my prior service and he would determine if I could actually join. I collected the papers over Easter weekend and started faxing them on Monday morning.